Dirigible headlight.



W. B. AUSTIN. DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 19-11.

992,142. Patented May 16, 1911.

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24 awuwtoz W. B. AUSTIN. DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT. APPLICATION FILED 11:13.9, 1911.

Patented May 16, 1911 2 SHBETS-SHEETJ 2.

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WILLIAM B. AUSTIN, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9, 1911. Serial No. 607,637. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. AUSTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, county of Newcastle, and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirigible Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automobiles and particularly to the head lights thereof.

More specifically m invention relates to dirigible head lights or automobiles.

The object of my invention is to provide an automobile head light which may be manually'operated to turn the light in any direction desired. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a manually operated head light as mentioned equipped with means for normally holding the same in position to throw the light directly forward of the car.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a device of the class mentioned of such construction that it may be readily applied to substantially any automobile, and which may be readily and quickly operated from the drivers seat.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In carrying out my invention I mount the head light to turn upon avertical axis and provide a hand lever adjacent to the drivers seat and readily accessible therefrom, and connect said lever with the head light so that throwing the lever will turn the light to the right or left as desired. I further provide a quadrant for guiding the lever and form the same with a notch or recess on one of its inner faces and equip the lever with a boss or lug to engage the recess to normally hold the light in forward position.

' My invention consists generally in a device as above mentioned and in various details of construction and arrangement of parts all as will be fully describedhereinafter and particularly pointed out in the M invention will be more readily understoo by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, in diagram, of the forward portion of an automobile illustrating a device embodying my invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the lever, the bracket to which it is attached, the quadrant and the reach rod, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, the lever being shown in section, Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same with the quadrant'illustrated in section, Fig. 5,

is a side elevation of the head light'bracket and mounting, and Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same.

Referring now .to the drawings A indicates an automobile, B the chassis thereof, C the steering wheel and D the gear and brake levers. E indicates the drivers seat. These portions are represented conventionally in the drawings as they form no portion of my invention and detail illustration thereof is therefore unnecessary.

Secured to the forward portion of the car, preferably to the frame or chassis B is a bracket comprising a vertically disposed? sleeve 1 and a pair of base flanges 2, the latter being perforated to receive the bolts 3 by which it is secured in position.

4 indicates the head light which is mounted upon the usual yoke 5. The oke 5 is provided with a de ending or vertically dis posed stem 6 rotata ly mounted in the sleeve 1. Fixed to the stem 6 is a laterally projecting arm 7. This is preferably secured to the upper end of the stem andrestsupo n the upper end of the sleeve 1, the end of the stem being squared as at 8 whereby the arm is secured to the stem to prevent relative rotation of the parts. The lower end of the stem projects below the sleeve 1 and is provided with a nut 9 between which and the end of the sleeve is interposed a washer 10.

11 indicates a cotter in extending through the n ut and the stem or securing the nut 1n posltion. The lower end of the bore of the sleeve is increased in diameter as at 12, forming an annular internal shoulder 13 and interposed between said shoulder and the washer 10 is a spring 14 arranged about the adjacent portion of the stem.

15 indicates a head on the stem 6, the

lower end of which rests upon the mner end of the arm 7.

16 indicates a hand lever mounted adjacent the drivers seat bracket 17 fixed to the car and prefera ly to the chassis. The bracket 17 comprises a base plate 18 apertured to receive the bolts 19 by means of which it is secured in position, a pair of outwardly and downwardly inclined arms 20 converging toward the bottom and terminating in a vertically disposed portion 21, and a pair of outwardly and upwardly di- Patented May 16, 1911.

Eivotally u on a.

' The lever 16 projects upwardly between the that-if the lever 16 is thrown backwardly parallel members of the quadrant. The member 25 of the quadrant is preferably of uniform thickness throughout its length whereas the member 26 is thicker at the center and tapers toward each end, the additional thickness of the metal being upon the inside whereby the space between the quadrant members is contracted toward the cenfter. At the center, which is the thickest portion, the member 26 is provided on its inner face with a vertically disposed notch or recess 30, the face of which is cylindrically curved, and the lever 16 is provided with a boss or lug31 adapted to rest in said recess when the lever is in .central position. The space between the members and 26, even at its most contracted portion, is of greater width than the thickness of the lever 1n order that the latter may have sufiicient lateral play to permit withdrawal ofthe lug from the recess. Fixed to the inner face of the lever is a leaf spring 32 which bears against the member 25 and normally holds the lever in engagement with the member 26. The spring is preferably arranged in a vertically disposed channel or groove 33 in the lever to revent displacement thereof.

" Exten ing from the lever 16 to the arm 7 is areach rod 34. This is of such length that when the lug 31 restswithin the recess 30, the head light will be turned to throw the light directly forward. It is obvious the light will be thrown to the right, and if it be thrown forwardly, the light will be thrown to the left. The light may be turned to any angle desired and the spring is sufiiciently strong to create-enough friction between the lever and the quadrant to hold it in position especially when the caris standing still. The lever 16 is so arranged on the car that the handle 35 thereof is within convenient reach of the driver from the seat E. When traveling along dark roads "the light may beturned from side to side orin either.

In a device of the class described,

bracket adapted to be secured to an automobile, a lampsupport mounted therein to rotate upon a vertical axis, a second bracket adapted to be secured to the automobile adjacent the drivers seat, a quadrant on said bracket comprising a pair of, parallel mem bers, a lever pivotally mounted on said bracket and projecting upwardly between said members, a lug on one side of'said lever, one member of said quadrant being notched at substantially the center to receive said lug, 'a spring on the opposite side'ofsaid lever constantly engaging the other member of said quadrant, and a rod connecting said lever and lampsupport, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification; in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

\VILLIAM B. AUSTIN.

Witnesses HENRY C. ROBINSON, CHARLES GREENL 

